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BigGriz and his dad did arrive safe and sound, and I can confirm they are heading south with a new trans and converter.
No I-Pad for me though. Sold out in Houston. I may try the Best Buy near home today though.
Packing my bags for a trip tomorrow. Nashville, here I come.

Happy Sunday everyone.
P

Good morning all. Have not been around much lately. Busy, busy. Hope to make it home by midnight tonight. Going to wander around Houston for a few hours, and try to pick up one of the new I-Pad's. Happy Saturday.

Welcome Bill!
Dont forget the new mod custom of sending 1 case of Corona to each moderator.

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As broken up as it was, I can't believe it moved at all.
I saved the cracked and broken parts for your wall of shame.

Great cam choice Don. It is exactly what I would have recommended for your build.
Sure, more cam would make more power, but you will be pleased with the entire combination.

PS: Your trans is complete.
I sent you a few pics.

It isn't simple, unfortunately.
The bushings are driven into their respective bores, to all different depths. There is no stop to locate them.
The correct driver shall have 2 steps. The lower step is the same od as the id of the bushing (less a thou or 2)
The upper step of the bushing will match the bore the bushing will go into (less a couple of thou).
I have never seen a driver set work, other than the specific specialty drivers offered for transmsiions.
Most shops have an approx 40 pc master set that runs 6-7 hundred bucks or more.
I own the 13 piece set specific to a 700r4, and think I paid about $300 for it. Perhaps e-bay has used sets?

Common on a carb or throttle body car. New tv cable often helps, as well as the shift improver jigger that attaches at the throttle body. I forget the technical name for it, but it is a progressive, spring assisted thing that is about $10.

Remove and test the pressure switches in the valve body. They are very prone to failure.

You are right. Lock up friction material is not prone to wearing out. It is prone to delaminating, or glaze and chatter.
GM used about 15 different wiring arrangements for lock up. You need to check the pressure switches in the valve body, check for 12 volts on terminal A, and check the brake switch for correct adjustment.
FSM is your best tool here.

Am I missing something?
Would the correct answer be zero?
If the ecm has a target idle speed, would the engine not achieve that speed? Regardless of a trans being bolted to it or not?
Plus or minus a few rpm, of course.

Looks great Don. That is 1 clean, quiet machine.
Gonna finally tear down that trans this weekend. Hoping to find some juicy, photo worthy damage.
Inexpensive, easy to fix stuff, of course.

Lay the converter on the bench, with the snout facing up. Stick a pair of snap ring, or lock ring pliers in the inner splines, and grab the stator tight. Pull it up and down, and note the movement. If it exceeds .020, don't install it.

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Depends on who you ask. I have not been lucky w/B&M, but others have.
1/2 price makes it attractive.

Good morning all!
As of last weekend, I had 4 large projects slated for Nov and Dec. qws - engine, Mike V - engine, BigGrizzly - transmission, Mike V - transmission.
qws loaded his up last night, so 3 to go.
I will be working on the bottom end of Mike's 383 today. Still waiting on heads, so sorta on schedule.
Happy Sunday.

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Yup. Gay.

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With all of the correct support parts, yes.

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36 pounders may have worked, but are very hard to find. I stepped up to 42# injectors, and Mick is very comfortable he can work them in easily. They give me room to grow, as my next build will likely be a 421 or 427 cube small block.

11-9-10

Update time.

Car has been running very well. Every time Mick (mseven) makes some changes, it responds in a positive direction.

A couple of steps backwards though.
By having an expert like Mick working with me, it opened my eyes to things I would not normally have seen. Although my tuneup is great, I have about maxxed out the 30# injectors. Both Mick and myself are slightly concerned that once I spray it, the margin is tight enough to be nervous.

So, I did order new injectors, and need to pull that rotten Superram manifold apart, yet again.

Lesson learned is that solid data is critical to tuning. Having a pro on the other end is worth it's weight in gold.

I did enjoy the hell out of it,but not sure if I would want ti run one full time. Although fast and easy to drive, they go down track like they are on a string. I could see it getting a bit boring after a few hundred passes. I really like fast door cars.

It was Maple Grove. The day after a national event, the track was as tight as a knat's ass.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CidXL79Y5Wo
Video of the last run.

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Sounds like a good. Time. All the leaves are gone here. Plugging up the storm drains, and messing up the lawns.

If you are changing the dipstick boot seal, also change the boot seal for the tv cable. It is a few inches back from the dipstick tube seal.

Matt,
How are you makin out with the vette? I have been traveling, and out of the loop. I have a lot of catching up to do.

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I am holding both GM gears in my hand.
The driven gear number is correct.
The drive gear number is incorrect (unless GM changed the part number in the past 18 months, and your number supercedes my number.

Drive Gear 15 Tooth- 8642620

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Sounds great Don. I only have 2 engines to tidy up. I hope to have them done in the next 2 weeks, so I am in great shape.

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I hafta agree. Got a feeling today will be great. Mild weather here in Pa. Gonna hit an unheard of 70 degrees this afternoon.
Packin the suitcase tonight for my Orlando trip tomorrow.

It will even be harder to determine value without pulling the pan. Seller says it broke, and the LT-1's were made famous beacause they can rev to the moon. Most that broke, were broke bad. On the other hand, if it only spun a bearing or 2, a crank swap and a couple of conmnecting rods will bring it back to salvagable.
If it spin a main hard, it can still be saved, but at a much higher expense.

Bruno,
I did the opposite on my friends 92 Fireturd. Went from a 5 speed to an auto. He made changes to the prom only, and used the same ecm. Not sure exactly what he did though.

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I agree with Matt. To me, it is a $100 core, assuming heads and block are not cracked. To the right guy though, who knows. I often see bare blocks (small block) from the 60's at Carlisle advertising with $3,500.00 asking prices on them. No idea if they actually sell for that.
Remind me to tell the story about the Challenge car engines, and how some of them found their way back to the origional owners. For a huge price/profit , of course.

Wow! I paid $7 at Harbor freight. For years I used a large screwdriver with a bent tip.

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Yup. In my opinion, once a distributor gear and cam gear are married, they are a pair for life. New cam = new dist gear. I learned it the hard way.

Wayne,
While the engine is idling, take a screwdriver handle, and gently whack the MAF sensor. If whacking the sensor makes it worse, sensor is bad.

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The first thing they talked about in the classroom was claustrophobia. They wanted to see if anyone freaked out from being confined in the cockpit. Arm restraints were used too. Everyone was fine on that day.

I picked their brains about the cars:
1500 lbs
500 hp pump gas motor
2 speed poweglide
3000 stall converter

I plan to return for my 9:99 or quicker door car license.

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I have gone a 1.4 60' in mustang, but 1.3 in a dragster is insane. Like being shot out of a cannon.

They were special built school cars and have very mild pump gas motors.
Still a blast though.
10.20 @ about 125 mph
60 foot time was 1.320
1/8 mile was lower 6's

One photo is interesting. It shows Ron Capps and his crew watching me race.

Spent the day after the Keystone Nationals at Doug Foley's Drag Race School. This Top Fuel driver has been doing this a while, and the wife was kind enough to buy me some seat time. These are just a few of the pics.
Fun day for sure.
[IMG]http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t221/vrodpete/DSC_0171.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t221/vrodpete/DSC_0176.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t221/vrodpete/DSC_0177.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t221/vrodpete/DSC_0178.jpg[/IMG]

You will find that the 4 holes drilled into the pumpkin (at the 5 and 7 o'clock positions) are larger diameter than the 84. The matching holes on the strut rod brackets are also small, matching the 84 case holes. Although the brackets are probably enough to locate the strut rod brackets securely, I do not trust it.
I always open up the bracket holes to match the later pumpkin holes, and use the later year, larger diameter bolts.

Don,
Sorry I have not called. Small family emergency, then the travel hit. My apologies, and I will give you a shout this week.
PK

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How many miles on the rear?

Have a look at the link below. This guy has balls, and I like his style.
Warning: NOT WORK SAFE Strong Language!!

http://www.yellowbullet.com/forum/showthread.php?t=289664

It sounds a little different in person. Pretty sure it is just the old belt chirping a bit.

WEST TEXASChili Cook-off
If you can read this whole story without laughing, then there's no hope for you. I was crying by the end. This is an actual account as relayed to paramedics at a chili cook-off in West Texas.




Note: Please take time to read this slowly.
If you pay attention to the first two judges,
the reaction of the third judge is even better.



For those of you who have lived in West Texas, you know how true this is. Judge #3 was an inexperienced Chili taster named Frank, who was visiting from Springfield , IL .




Frank: "Recently, I was honored to be selected as a judge at a chili cook-off.. The original person called in sick at the last moment and I happened to be standing there at the judge's table, asking for directions to the Coors Light truck, when the call came in. I was assured by the other two judges (Native West Texans) that the chili wouldn't be all that spicy; and, besides, they told me I could have free beer during the tasting, so I accepted and became Judge #3."




Here are the scorecard notes from the event:



CHILI # 1 - MIKE'S MANIAC MONSTER CHILI
Judge # 1 -- A little too heavy on the tomato. Amusing kick.
Judge # 2 -- Nice, smooth tomato flavor. Very mild.
Judge # 3 (Frank) -- Holy crap, what the hell is this stuff? You could remove dried paint from your driveway. Took me two beers to put the flames out. I hope that's the worst one. These West Texans are crazy.


CHILI # 2 - EL RANCHO'S AFTERBURNER CHILI
Judge # 1 -- Smoky, with a hint of pork. Slight jalapeno tang.
Judge # 2 -- Exciting BBQ flavor, needs more peppers to be taken seriously.
Judge # 3 -- Keep this out of the reach of children. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to taste besides pain. I had to wave off two people who wanted to give me the Heimlich maneuver. They had to rush in more beer when they saw the look on my face.



CHILI # 3 - ALFREDO'S FAMOUS BURN DOWN THE BARN CHILI
Judge # 1 -- Excellent firehouse chili. Great kick.
Judge # 2 -- A bit salty, good use of peppers.
Judge # 3 -- Call the EPA. I've located a uranium spill. My nose feels like I have been snorting Drano. Everyone knows the routine by now. Get me more beer before I ignite. Barmaid pounded me on the back, now my backbone is in the front part of my chest. I'm getting sh*t-faced from all of the beer.



CHILI # 4 - BUBBA'S BLACK MAGIC
Judge # 1 -- Black bean chili with almost no spice. Disappointing.
Judge # 2 -- Hint of lime in the black beans. Good side dish for fish or other mild foods, not much of a chili.
Judge # 3 -- I felt something scraping across my tongue, but was unable to taste it. Is it possible to burn out taste buds? Sally, the beer maid, was standing behind me with fresh refills. This 300 lb. Woman is starting to look HOT ... Just like this nuclear waste I'm eating! Is chili an aphrodisiac?



CHILI # 5 - LISA'S LEGAL LIP REMOVER
Judge # 1 -- Meaty, strong chili. Jalapeno peppers freshly ground, adding considerable kick. Very impressive.
Judge # 2 -- Chili using shredded beef, could use more tomato. Must admit the jalapeno peppers make a strong statement.
Judge # 3 -- My ears are ringing, sweat is pouring off my forehead and I can no longer focus my eyes. I farted, and four people behind me needed paramedics. The contestant seemed offended when I told her that her chili had given me brain damage. Sally saved my tongue from bleeding by pouring beer directly on it from the pitcher. I wonder if I'm burning my lips off.. It really ticks me off that the other judges asked me to stop screaming. Screw them...



CHILI # 6 - VARGA'S VERY VEGETARIAN VARIETY
Judge # 1 -- Thin yet bold vegetarian variety chili. Good balance of spices and peppers.
Judge # 2 -- The best yet. Aggressive use of peppers, onions, garlic. Superb.
Judge # 3 -- My intestines are now a straight pipe filled with gaseous, sulfuric flames. I crapped on myself when I farted, and I'm worried it will eat through the chair. No one seems inclined to stand behind me except that Sally. Can't feel my lips anymore. I need to wipe my butt with a snow cone.



CHILI # 7 - SUSAN'S SCREAMING SENSATION CHILI
Judge # 1 -- A mediocre chili with too much reliance on canned peppers.
Judge # 2 -- Ho hum, tastes as if the chef literally threw in a can of chili peppers at the last moment. **I should take note that I am worried about Judge #3. He appears to be in a bit of distress as he is cursing uncontrollably.
Judge # 3 -- You could put a grenade in my mouth, pull the pin, and I wouldn't feel a thing. I've lost sight in one eye, and the world sounds like it is made of rushing water.. My shirt is covered with chili, which slid unnoticed out of my mouth. My pants are full of lava to match my shirt. At least during the autopsy, they'll know what killed me. I've decided to stop breathing. It's too painful. Screw it; I'm not getting any oxygen anyway. If I need air, I'll just suck it in through the 4-inch hole in my stomach..



CHILI # 8 - BIG TOM'S TOENAIL CURLING CHILI
Judge # 1 -- The perfect ending, this is a nice blend chili. Not too bold but spicy enough to declare its existence.
Judge # 2 -- This final entry is a good, balanced chili. Neither mild nor hot. Sorry to see that most of it was lost when Judge #3 farted, passed out, fell over and pulled the chili pot down on top of himself. Not sure if he's going to make it. Poor fella, wonder how he'd have reacted to really hot chili?
Judge # 3 -- No report

Morning guys and gals.
Gonna rip off the oil pan to reseal an itty, bitty leak, as well as re-install my factory oil cooler and add antifreeze. Cooler temps are here, and it will be the last mechanical job on the vette this season.

Still working on the tune, and it is moving along great! Mseven has been working hard to get it done, and I appreciate that. Now that the tune is real close, the car runs amazing. Happy saturday!

Changed the video. Tune is coming along great, and it sounds (and runs) even better now.

Good afternoon everyone. Fingers Crossed Matt.
Had a bad day yesterday. Kids skipping school darted in front of my daily driver, forcing me to choose between them, and a 1 ft high curb. Curb 1. Rims and tires 0.
On one hand, glad I didn't kill them. On the other, I was wishing them some pain later in the day.
My day today is better, and I hope everyone else is too.

I thought those cams were for a 350. A 383 with a great set of heads, and an lt1 type manifold will tolerate much more camshaft. The 2nd one is as small as I would go. If compression is going to be higher than 10.5 to 1, be sure to put enough cam to it to keep it from being a ping monster.

Splayed caps installed properly on a 2 bolt block is much stronger that a stock 4 bolt main. Angling the bolts allow them to bite into a stronger part of the block.
If you are using a great block, decent rods, and quality pistons, it seems a shame to hang them on a cast crank. I would step the crank up to a better forged scat, or a Callies Compstar. The larger of the 2 cams is still quite mild. I would go with it.

Good morning peeps. Slept late, and planning on watching powerblock before getting into Mick V's 383 build. Maybe another datalog on my car before tipping a few Corona's. Gonna be a decent day....

Short Video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufAr6h8jDm0